Truck-centering mechanism



April 2, 1929. w. E. WOODARD TRUCK CENTERING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed July ,20, 1927 BY Z 41 ATTORNEYS April 2, 1929. w. E WOODARD TRUCK CENTERING MECHANISM Filed July 20, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 5 K00 -M iw 7 L9 :7 wt V 7 T 0.0 my nd m M 4 r i WJ 1." m M W g $47 yum; ATTORNEYS Patented Apr. 2,1929.

UNITED STATES.

WILLIAM E. WOODARD, OF FOREST HILLS, NEW YORK.

TRUCK-CENTERING MECHANISM. A

Application filed July 20,

This improvement has particular relation to what is called centering mechanism for railway-trucks, particularly such as are commonly used in locomotive practice. As instances of this type of construction I would call attention to the followin Letters Patent of the United States h fos. 1,060,222, 1,406,801 and 1,429,008.

In connection with the practical use of this '10 type of mechanism which has now been extensively introduced in this country, certain difliculties have arisen as a result of wear in serviceafter long continued use which it is the primary object of my present invention to overcome. I refer particularly ,to wear which occurs either on the trunnions of the rockers commonly used which engage the truck frame or, upon the wearing pieces which cooperate with said rockers or upon both said parts according to the way the mechanism a is mounted on the truck.

. In the practical service referred to it has been found that after a long service a substantial amount of wear occurs on the trunnions which have to be restored to proper which pounding tends to distort and pound .out the trunnion bearings- In order to compensate in part for this wear orreduce itas much as practicable on the truck frame, I provide the bearing strips disclosed in my earlier patent,-above referred 4 to, No. 1,406,801, but while this improvement reduced the wear on the truck frame it did not overcome the difficulty with respect to the wear on the trunnion rockers. I have there fore devised an arrangement in which I have provided the rockers with a machined surface formed on the bottom of the same which surface engages the cooperating machined surface on the wearing strip so that the rockers when in normal, i. e.-in upright position,

have the bearing surface; of the trunnions proper against the wear strips or in the sockets with which they engage augmented by the bearing surface provided by such ma- ,chined surface of the rocker-giving a much 65 larger area of-contact" to resist the effect of the pounding of the truck over rough tracks.

1927; Serial No. 207,050.

a e of Fig. 2.

V Referring now more particularly to Fig. 1, it will be seen that I have therein shown a truck frame 1, carrying the wheels 2, with axles 3 and center bearing member 4.

The arrangement of the rocker device is more clearly indicated in Fig. 2, in which I have shown the transverse supporting beam of the truck at 5 provided with wear plates 6 which are secured to the truck by the bolts 7 as indicated and provided on their upper surfaces with recesses 8 and flat bearing surfaces 9 to engage corresponding surfaces of the rocker members 10 which are interposed between the bearing plates 6 and the upper bearlng member 11, the underface of the latter being provided with the inclined faces 12 adapted to engage the curved surfaces 13 of the rocker part.

f I have shown a center pin at 14 and suitable tie members at 15 connecting the lugs 16 on the rocker device with the lugs 17 on the upper bearing'member.

It will be evident ,that when the rockers are displaced by movement of the truck bolster,

the flat machined surfaces indicated at 9 upon the lower face of the rocker part 10 will move away from the plates 6 and aflord no support as in turning a curve, but as soon as the truclr returns to normal position, which is the POSltlOIl it occupies 1n practically all straight running constituting .a great majority of the i-totengage a cooperating surface provided on the truck whereby .to reduce wear of the trunnions during straight running of the truck.

2. A centering device for trucks comprisingrockers, trunnions on said rockers and a bearing surface between said trunnions supplementary to the trunnion bearings.

3. A hearing member for a truck constructed with recesses for the reception of said rocker means may rotate when displaced laterally and supplemental bearing means for the rocker means operative at central position of the rocker means, whereby to reduce wear at the first mentioned bearings.

6. In a truck centering device the combination of rocker means, bearings upon which said rocker means may rotate when displaced laterally, and additional bearing means, said rocker means having means ongaging said additional bearing means when in undisplaced position, whereby the first mentioned bearings are supplemented in taking shocks incident to operation of the truck in straight running.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name.

WILLIAM E. WOODARD. 

